Apparatus for homogenizing liquids



R. KNOLLENBERG APPARATUS FOR HOIOGENIZING LIQUIDS Filed April '7 1925Sept 1, 1925.

Patented Sept. 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENr-oFFicE- VRUDOLF KNOLLENBERG, or LUBECK, GERMANY.

.AP2ARATIIS non noivroennrznve LIQUIDS.

Application filed April 7, 1925. Serial No. 21,384.

and less in width and must be of uniform width right round thenozzle.The smaller the homogenizing gap is to be for a given output and a givencompression pressure in a hcmogenizingplant,the greater must be thediameter of the nozzle. But the greater the nozzle, the greater becomesthe practical difficulty of obtaining homogenizing gaps of the samewidth right round the nozzle. In addition to this the load on the nozzleincreases very greatly, so that adjustment becomes-more and moredifficult. The width of the gap is on the other hand limited for thepractical reason, that gaps which are too narrow become easily stoppedup. I11 order to prevent narrow gaps becoming stopped up, it has alreadybeen proposed to use rotatable homogenizing nozzles. Such nozzles,however, have the disadvantage that they gradually grind deeply into theseating, whereby the seating surface is widened, thus reducing theeiiiciency. In non-rotating adj ustabie nozzles, on the other hand,there is the difficulty of making the nozzle and the seating exactlyconcentric, as the two parts referred to must be mounted in twoseparately constructed casings. If the parts are not accuratelycentered, the efficiency is bound to drop, as thewidths of the gaps willbe different.

The subject of the present invention is a homogenizing nozzle, which iscapable of adjustment with respect to an opposed member and which doesnot have the drawbacks referred to above.

According to the present invention an annular groove is provided in thesurfaces bounding the homogenizing gap of such a homogenizingnozzle',;to which groove the liquid to be homogenized flows throughpassages in the opposing member, after which it flows through the gap tothe outlet. Preferably there is also provided a central re-.

cess, which is open to the outlet and gives the homogenizing gap anannular shape, the

arrangement being such that a portion of the liquid to be homogenizedcan flow from the annular groove to the recess.

In a further constructional form according to the invention the centralrecess is open towards the inlet and is connected to the outlet by theinner part of the gap and an annular passage, which subdivides thehomogenizing gap between the annular groove and the recess.

By thlsarrangement the broad homogenizing gap'is so subdivided, that theliquid is more easily pressed through, the homogenizing nozzle beingvery considerably relieved of the-liquid pressure. of the homogenizingliquid is effected in a particularly favourable manner.

In the accompanying drawing two constructional examples of the inventionare shown diagrammatically,

constructional form.

In the example shown in Fig. 1 the homogenizing nozzle 03 is adjustablewith respect to the opposing member I). The opposing member is mountedin the casing with a certain amount of play, so that it can be easilycentred. After being centred, the opposing member is fixed by mean-s ofa screw ring 2' or the like. The homogenizing nozzle and the opposingmember both have a central recess 9, through which the'homogenizing gap6 formed between them is given an annular shape. The recess 9 is in thiscase closed to the inlet A and is connected to the outlet B by passagesh. The annular surface 6 is further subdivided by a groove 0approximately in the middle thereof, which may be cut in one or other ofthe opposing surfaces or in both surfaces, but which in every case isconnected by passages a with the inlet. j

The apparatus works in the "following manner :After, by releasing thescrew ring 2', adjusting the member I) and again tightening' the screwring 2', the parts have been accurately centred, the liquid to behomogenized is caused to flow in under pressure at the inlet A. Theliquid passes through the passages 02 into the annular groove 0 and fromthere forces its way to both sides through the gap 6. The liquid passesoutwards directly into the space f and to the The escape outlet B, theportions of the liquid flowing inwards passing out of the recess 9through the passages k and also to the space In the constructionalexample shown in Fig. 2 the homogenizing gap is still furthersubdivided. The central recess is in this case closed to the outlet sideand opens to the inlet side. Betweenthe recess 9 and the annular groove0 the surface of the gap is again subdivided by the annular passage Z,which is connected by passages 7L to the outlet space F. The liquidflows from the recess 9 through the inner parts 0 of the gap and passesto the annular passage Z, to which liquid also flows from the outsidefrom the annular groove 0 What I claim 2-- 1. An apparatus forhomogenizing liquids, comprising in combination a homogenizing nozzle, amember facing the nozzle, a gap between the nozzle and the said member,a

- central recess and annular grooves in the surfaces of the nozzle andthe opposing member facing the gap, which are so subdivided that theliquid under pressure can flow out of a plurality of homogenizing gaps,which are in fixed relation to one another, to the outlet space of theapparatus, as set forth.

2. An apparatus for homogenizing liquids, comprising in combination ahomogenizing nozzle, a member facing the nozzle, a gap between thenozzle and the said member, a

central recess and an annular groove in the surfaces of the nozzle andthe opposing member facing the gap and passages in the nozzle extendingfrom the central recess to the outlet space of the apparatus surroundingthe nozzle, which allows the liquid under pressure to emerge from thegap both outwardly and inwardly and the liquid flowing to the centralrecess to flow to the outlet space of the apparatus through the passagesin the nozzle, as set forth.

3. An apparatus for homogenizing liquids, comprising in combination ahomogenizing nozzle, a member facing the nozzle,

gap between the nozzle and the said memher, a central recess and anannular groove in the surfaces of the nozzle and the opposing memberfacing the'gap, passages in the nozzle extending from the central recessto the outlet space of the apparatus surrounding the nozzle and anadditional groove between the central recess and the groove in thesurfaces facing the gap, which additional groove is capable of receivingthe liquid passing from the outer groove inwardly and from the centralrecess outwardly and of causing it to flow through the passages in thehomogenizing nozzle to the outlet space of the apparatus, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RUDOLF KNOLLENBERG.

